15 Nov November 15th Music Reviews

Artist: GoldenboyAlbum: The New FamiliarRec’d Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8Comments: Drone and smoothing guitar work drives this album of 90’s –esque rock tunes. Felt like it should be shoved in-between your Elliot Smith and The Sea and Cake albums on your shelf, The New Familiar takes their album title to heart. Goldenboy focuses on slight guitar tonal shifts, and varying drum beats that only a few at first would notice. After multiple listens, you start to hear those sonic details and understand why they make these songs, a little more than, ‘songs’. Attention like this is hardly seen and is always a joy to listen to like a puzzle. Wondering where the next unsuspecting piece is going to fit.Genre: Rock

Artist: Talk NormalAlbum: SunshineRec’d Tracks: 1, 2, 3! 4, 5!, 6, 7!Comments: The more I listen to this album; the more it seems like a necessary classic. The sheer amount of ‘nothing’ here is amazing. These two vocalists require the entirety of your auditory intelligence. The minimalist drum and guitar utilization hits harder than anything I’ve heard in this atmosphere. Every chord, every bass hit, is meant to rattle you. It’s a reminder that they are here, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. The ambition on this record reminds me of early ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’s’ without the flash; or especially early ‘Kills.’ Both those bands had this real scary drive that was unparalleled at the time. Nobody had dared tried to tell them they were doing something wrong. Talk Normal has the some sort of determination with using even less musically. I think that makes it seem even more impressive. To make your audience feel entranced purely by how effortlessly you ensue havoc is indeed absolutely chilling. Genre: No Wave

Artist: WAZUAlbum: RoboboRec’d Tracks: 1, 4, 10, 11Comments: This is the type of album that frustrates the hell out of you because the potential of what is laid in front of you is only half there. Certain tracks invoke Depeche Mode New Wave grit, while others seem like a complete mess with no direction. So where do you go from here? The ambition is here, and when they decide to get serious and slap some industrial mayhem in your face, you love it. But the disconnect between those gems is also crystal clear. What ends up happening, is that this plays out like a Top 40 album. A few hits that show one personality and then the listener dives in for the full experience and is disappointed by the misleading end result.Genre: Industrial Confusion

Artist: Melodys Echo ChamberAlbum: Melodys Echo ChamberRec’d Tracks: 2, 3!, 4 5, 6, 7!Comments: Melodys Echo Chamber is influenced by the same 60’s neurotic psych-rock that drove the success of Tame Impala’s Lonerism last month. This would completely make sense due to these two outfits share the same bedroom. While the similarities between the production and sweeping snyths are apparent, there is one clear separation; Melody is a woman and sings like one too. This makes for a very interesting companion piece to Lonerism. While it may have not been planned, the two albums now sit as a yin and yang of sorts. Combining these two albums really embodies the entirety of 2012’s psychedelic resurgence.Genre: Female Psychedelica